A review by laurenleigh
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

adventurous emotional funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Dread Nation was a last minute pick to fulfill some lingering 2021 reading challenge prompts, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it! This is why I do these challenges. In this YA historical fiction, the Civil War ended because zombies rose up on the battle of Gettysburg. I found this sci-fi alternate history take fascinating. It makes me think about how slavery “came back from the dead” in the forms of Jim Crow laws, segregation, and forced labor as criminal punishment. Black Americans still had to fight to survive, with or without a zombie apocalypse. The novel clearly has some deeper meanings to explore, but even on just the surface level, this was an enjoyable, action-packed read. I love when an author can keep up the quick pace of a fight scene while also taking the time to fully explain all the details of what’s going on. The characters were all very well-formed and distinct, especially our heroine Jane. I absolutely adore her! Bahni Turpin’s narration did a fantastic job of capturing all the accents of course. I am interested to read the sequel, mainly just to spend more time with these characters!
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